Method and system for an on-chip leaky wave antenna

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for an on-chip leaky wave antenna (LWA) are disclosed and may include communicating RF signals using one or more LWAs in a wireless device. The LWAs may be integrated in metal layers in an integrated circuit (chip) in the wireless device. The RF signals may be communicated to devices external to the chip via a desired angle from the surface of the chip, or may be communicated between regions within the chip. The LWAs may comprise microstrip waveguides where a cavity height of the LWAs may be controlled by configuring a spacing between conductive lines in the microstrip waveguides. The LWAs may include coplanar waveguides where a cavity height of the leaky wave antennas may be controlled by configuring a spacing between conductive lines in the coplanar waveguides. The chip may be flip-chip-bonded to an integrated circuit package which may be affixed to a printed circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application makes reference to, claims the benefit from, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/246,618 filed on Sep. 29, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/185,245 filed on Jun. 9, 2009.

This application also makes reference to:

-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,212 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,295 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,277 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,192 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,224 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,176 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,246 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,292 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/650,324 filed on Dec. 30, 2009; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/708,366 filed on Feb. 18, 2010; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21202US02) filed on even date herewith; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21203US02) filed on even date herewith; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21207US02) filed on even date herewith; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21208US02) filed on even date herewith; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21209US02) filed on even date herewith; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21213US02) filed on even date herewith; -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21218US02) filed on even date herewith; and -   U.S. patent application Ser. No.______ (Attorney Docket No.     21220US02) filed on even date herewith.

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[Not Applicable]

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

[Not Applicable]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communication. More specifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a method and system for an on-chip leaky wave antenna.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mobile communications have changed the way people communicate and mobile phones have been transformed from a luxury item to an essential part of every day life. The use of mobile phones is today dictated by social situations, rather than hampered by location or technology. While voice connections fulfill the basic need to communicate, and mobile voice connections continue to filter even further into the fabric of every day life, the mobile Internet is the next step in the mobile communication revolution. The mobile Internet is poised to become a common source of everyday information, and easy, versatile mobile access to this data will be taken for granted.

As the number of electronic devices enabled for wireline and/or mobile communications continues to increase, significant efforts exist with regard to making such devices more power efficient. For example, a large percentage of communications devices are mobile wireless devices and thus often operate on battery power. Additionally, transmit and/or receive circuitry within such mobile wireless devices often account for a significant portion of the power consumed within these devices. Moreover, in some conventional communication systems, transmitters and/or receivers are often power inefficient in comparison to other blocks of the portable communication devices. Accordingly, these transmitters and/or receivers have a significant impact on battery life for these mobile wireless devices.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method for an on-chip leaky wave antenna as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

Various advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless system with on-chip leaky wave antennas, which may be utilized in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a plan view of exemplary partially reflective surfaces for a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary phase dependence of a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary in-phase and out-of-phase beam shapes for a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a leaky wave antenna with variable input impedance feed points, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of coplanar and microstrip waveguides, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an integrated circuit with integrated leaky wave antennas, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary steps for communicating via leaky wave antennas integrated in an integrated circuit, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain aspects of the invention may be found in a method and system for an on-chip leaky wave antenna (LWA). Exemplary aspects of the invention may comprise communicating RF signals using one or more leaky wave antennas in a wireless device. The leaky wave antenna(s) may be integrated in metal layers in an integrated circuit that is within the wireless device. The RF signals may be communicated to devices external to the integrated circuit via a surface of the integrated circuit. The leaky wave antenna(s) may be configured so that it is operable to transmit the wireless signals at a desired angle from the surface of the integrated circuit. The RF signals may be communicated between regions within the integrated circuit. The LWA(s) may comprise microstrip waveguides where a cavity height of the LWA(s) may be dependent on a spacing between conductive lines in the microstrip waveguides. The leaky wave antenna(s) may comprise coplanar waveguides where a cavity height of the leaky wave antennas may be dependent on a spacing between conductive lines in the coplanar waveguides. The integrated circuit may be flip-chip-bonded to an integrated circuit package which may be affixed to a printed circuit board.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless system with on-chip leaky wave antennas, which may be utilized in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the wireless device 150 may comprise an antenna 151, a transceiver 152, a baseband processor 154, a processor 156, a system memory 158, a logic block 160, a chip 162, leaky wave antennas 164A-164C, switches 165, an external headset port 166, and a package 167. The wireless device 150 may also comprise an analog microphone 168, integrated hands-free (IHF) stereo speakers 170, a printed circuit board 171, a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil 174, a dual digital microphone 176, a vibration transducer 178, a keypad and/or touchscreen 180, and a display 182.

The transceiver 152 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interface(s), and/or code that may be enabled to modulate and upconvert baseband signals to RF signals for transmission by one or more antennas, which may be represented generically by the antenna 151. The transceiver 152 may also be enabled to downconvert and demodulate received RF signals to baseband signals. The RF signals may be received by one or more antennas, which may be represented generically by the antenna 151, or the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C. Different wireless systems may use different antennas for transmission and reception. The transceiver 152 may be enabled to execute other functions, for example, filtering the baseband and/or RF signals, and/or amplifying the baseband and/or RF signals. Although a single transceiver 152 is shown, the invention is not so limited. Accordingly, the transceiver 152 may be implemented as a separate transmitter and a separate receiver. In addition, there may be a plurality of transceivers, transmitters and/or receivers. In this regard, the plurality of transceivers, transmitters and/or receivers may enable the wireless device 150 to handle a plurality of wireless protocols and/or standards including cellular, WLAN and PAN. Wireless technologies handled by the wireless device 150 may comprise GSM, CDMA, CDMA2000, WCDMA, GMS, GPRS, EDGE, WIMAX, WLAN, 3GPP, UMTS, BLUETOOTH, and ZigBee, for example.

The baseband processor 154 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interface(s), and/or code that may be enabled to process baseband signals for transmission via the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband signals received from the transceiver 152. The processor 156 may be any suitable processor or controller such as a CPU, DSP, ARM, or any type of integrated circuit processor. The processor 156 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may be enabled to control the operations of the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. For example, the processor 156 may be utilized to update and/or modify programmable parameters and/or values in a plurality of components, devices, and/or processing elements in the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. At least a portion of the programmable parameters may be stored in the system memory 158.

Control and/or data information, which may comprise the programmable parameters, may be transferred from other portions of the wireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, to the processor 156. Similarly, the processor 156 may be enabled to transfer control and/or data information, which may include the programmable parameters, to other portions of the wireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, which may be part of the wireless device 150.

The processor 156 may utilize the received control and/or data information, which may comprise the programmable parameters, to determine an operating mode of the transceiver 152. For example, the processor 156 may be utilized to select a specific frequency for a local oscillator, a specific gain for a variable gain amplifier, configure the local oscillator and/or configure the variable gain amplifier for operation in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Moreover, the specific frequency selected and/or parameters needed to calculate the specific frequency, and/or the specific gain value and/or the parameters, which may be utilized to calculate the specific gain, may be stored in the system memory 158 via the processor 156, for example. The information stored in system memory 158 may be transferred to the transceiver 152 from the system memory 158 via the processor 156.

The system memory 158 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interface(s), and/or code that may be enabled to store a plurality of control and/or data information, including parameters needed to calculate frequencies and/or gain, and/or the frequency value and/or gain value. The system memory 158 may store at least a portion of the programmable parameters that may be manipulated by the processor 156.

The logic block 160 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interface(s), and/or code that may enable controlling of various functionalities of the wireless device 150. For example, the logic block 160 may comprise one or more state machines that may generate signals to control the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. The logic block 160 may also comprise registers that may hold data for controlling, for example, the transceiver 152 and/or the baseband processor 154. The logic block 160 may also generate and/or store status information that may be read by, for example, the processor 156. Amplifier gains and/or filtering characteristics, for example, may be controlled by the logic block 160.

The BT radio/processor 163 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interface(s), and/or code that may enable transmission and reception of Bluetooth signals. The BT radio/processor 163 may enable processing and/or handling of BT baseband signals. In this regard, the BT radio/processor 163 may process or handle BT signals received and/or BT signals transmitted via a wireless communication medium. The BT radio/processor 163 may also provide control and/or feedback information to/from the baseband processor 154 and/or the processor 156, based on information from the processed BT signals. The BT radio/processor 163 may communicate information and/or data from the processed BT signals to the processor 156 and/or to the system memory 158. Moreover, the BT radio/processor 163 may receive information from the processor 156 and/or the system memory 158, which may be processed and transmitted via the wireless communication medium a Bluetooth headset, for example

The CODEC 172 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interface(s), and/or code that may process audio signals received from and/or communicated to input/output devices. The input devices may be within or communicatively coupled to the wireless device 150, and may comprise the analog microphone 168, the stereo speakers 170, the hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil 174, the dual digital microphone 176, and the vibration transducer 178, for example. The CODEC 172 may be operable to up-convert and/or down-convert signal frequencies to desired frequencies for processing and/or transmission via an output device. The CODEC 172 may enable utilizing a plurality of digital audio inputs, such as 16 or 18-bit inputs, for example. The CODEC 172 may also enable utilizing a plurality of data sampling rate inputs. For example, the CODEC 172 may accept digital audio signals at sampling rates such as 8 kHz, 11.025 kHz, 12 kHz, 16 kHz, 22.05 kHz, 24 kHz, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and/or 48 kHz. The CODEC 172 may also support mixing of a plurality of audio sources. For example, the CODEC 172 may support audio sources such as general audio, polyphonic ringer, I²S FM audio, vibration driving signals, and voice. In this regard, the general audio and polyphonic ringer sources may support the plurality of sampling rates that the audio CODEC 172 is enabled to accept, while the voice source may support a portion of the plurality of sampling rates, such as 8 kHz and 16 kHz, for example.

The chip 162 may comprise an integrated circuit with multiple functional blocks integrated within, such as the transceiver 152, the processor 156, the baseband processor 154, the BT radio/processor 163, and the CODEC 172. The number of functional blocks integrated in the chip 162 is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, any number of blocks may be integrated on the chip 162 depending on chip space and wireless device 150 requirements, for example. The chip 162 may be flip-chip bonded, for example, to the package 167, as described further with respect to FIG. 8.

The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may comprise a resonant cavity with a highly reflective surface and a lower reflectivity surface, and may be integrated in and/or on the package 167. The lower reflectivity surface may allow the resonant mode to “leak” out of the cavity. The lower reflectivity surface of the leaky wave antennas 164 may be configured with slots in a metal surface, or a pattern of metal patches, as described further in FIGS. 2 and 3. The physical dimensions of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be configured to optimize bandwidth of transmission and/or the beam pattern radiated. By integrating the leaky wave antennas 164A on the chip 162, wireless signals may be communicated between various regions of the chip 162 as well as to devices external to the chip 162.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may comprise a plurality of leaky wave antennas integrated in and/or on the chip 162, the package 167, and/or printed circuit board 171. The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be operable to transmit and/or receive wireless signals at or near 60 GHz, for example, due to the cavity length of the devices being on the order of millimeters. The leaky wave antennas 164A may be configured to transmit in different directions, including in the lateral direction parallel to the surface of the chip 162, thereby enabling communication between regions of the chip 162.

The switches 165 may comprise switches such as CMOS or MEMS switches that may be operable to switch different antennas of the leaky wave antennas 164A to the transceiver 152 and/or switch elements in and/or out of the leaky wave antennas 164A, such as the patches and slots described in FIG. 3.

The external headset port 166 may comprise a physical connection for an external headset to be communicatively coupled to the wireless device 150. The analog microphone 168 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interface(s), and/or code that may detect sound waves and convert them to electrical signals via a piezoelectric effect, for example. The electrical signals generated by the analog microphone 168 may comprise analog signals that may require analog to digital conversion before processing.

The package 167 may comprise a ceramic package, a printed circuit board, or other support structure for the chip 162 and other components of the wireless device 150. In this regard, the chip 162 may be bonded to the package 167. The package 167 may comprise insulating and conductive material, for example, and may provide isolation between electrical components mounted on the package 167.

The stereo speakers 170 may comprise a pair of speakers that may be operable to generate audio signals from electrical signals received from the CODEC 172. The HAG coil 174 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code that may enable communication between the wireless device 150 and a T-coil in a hearing aid, for example. In this manner, electrical audio signals may be communicated to a user that utilizes a hearing aid, without the need for generating sound signals via a speaker, such as the stereo speakers 170, and converting the generated sound signals back to electrical signals in a hearing aid, and subsequently back into amplified sound signals in the user's ear, for example.

The dual digital microphone 176 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interface(s), and/or code that may be operable to detect sound waves and convert them to electrical signals. The electrical signals generated by the dual digital microphone 176 may comprise digital signals, and thus may not require analog to digital conversion prior to digital processing in the CODEC 172. The dual digital microphone 176 may enable beamforming capabilities, for example.

The vibration transducer 178 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, interface(s), and/or code that may enable notification of an incoming call, alerts and/or message to the wireless device 150 without the use of sound. The vibration transducer may generate vibrations that may be in synch with, for example, audio signals such as speech or music.

In operation, control and/or data information, which may comprise the programmable parameters, may be transferred from other portions of the wireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, to the processor 156. Similarly, the processor 156 may be enabled to transfer control and/or data information, which may include the programmable parameters, to other portions of the wireless device 150, not shown in FIG. 1, which may be part of the wireless device 150.

The processor 156 may utilize the received control and/or data information, which may comprise the programmable parameters, to determine an operating mode of the transceiver 152. For example, the processor 156 may be utilized to select a specific frequency for a local oscillator, a specific gain for a variable gain amplifier, configure the local oscillator and/or configure the variable gain amplifier for operation in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Moreover, the specific frequency selected and/or parameters needed to calculate the specific frequency, and/or the specific gain value and/or the parameters, which may be utilized to calculate the specific gain, may be stored in the system memory 158 via the processor 156, for example. The information stored in system memory 158 may be transferred to the transceiver 152 from the system memory 158 via the processor 156.

The CODEC 172 in the wireless device 150 may communicate with the processor 156 in order to transfer audio data and control signals. Control registers for the CODEC 172 may reside within the processor 156. The processor 156 may exchange audio signals and control information via the system memory 158. The CODEC 172 may up-convert and/or down-convert the frequencies of multiple audio sources for processing at a desired sampling rate.

The leaky wave antennas 164A may be operable to transmit and/or receive wireless signals between regions of the chip 162 and/or to and from the chip 162 to leaky wave antennas in other structures such as the leaky wave antennas 164B and 164C in the package 167 and the printed circuit board 171, respectively. Resonant cavities may be configured between reflective surfaces in and/or on the chip 162 so that signals may be transmitted and/or received from any location on the chip 162 without requiring large areas needed for conventional antennas and associated circuitry. Coplanar waveguide structures may be utilized to enable the communication of signals in the horizontal direction within the chip 162.

The cavity height of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be configured to control the frequency of the signals that may be transmitted and/or received. Accordingly, the reflective surfaces may be controlled to provide different heights in the chip 162, the package 167, and/or the printed circuit board 171, thereby configuring leaky wave antennas with different resonant frequencies.

The leaky wave antennas 164A may be operable to transmit and/or receive signals to and from the chip 162. In this manner, high frequency traces to an external antenna, such as the antenna 151, may be reduced and/or eliminated for higher frequency signals.

Different frequency signals may be transmitted and/or received by the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C by selectively coupling the transceiver 152 to leaky wave antennas with different cavity heights. For example, a leaky wave antenna with reflective surfaces on the top and the bottom of the package 162 may have the largest cavity height, and thus provide the lowest resonant frequency. Conversely, a leaky wave antenna with both reflective surfaces in the same plane of the chip 162, as in a coplanar waveguide configuration, for example, may provide a higher resonant frequency.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C comprising a partially reflective surface 201A, a reflective surface 201B, and a feed point 203. The space between the partially reflective surface 201A and the reflective surface 201B may be filled with dielectric material, for example, and the height, h, between the partially reflective surface 201A and the reflective surface 201B may be utilized to configure the frequency of transmission of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C. In another embodiment of the invention, an air gap may be integrated in the space between the partially reflective surface 201A and the reflective surface 201B to enable MEMS actuation. There is also shown (micro-electromechanical systems) MEMS bias voltages, +V_(MEMS) and −V_(MEMS).

The feed point 203 may comprise an input terminal for applying an input voltage to the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C. The invention is not limited to a single feed point 203, as there may be any amount of feed points for different phases of signal or a plurality of signal sources, for example, to be applied to the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C.

In an embodiment of the invention, the height, h, may be one-half the wavelength of the desired transmitted mode from the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C. In this manner, the phase of an electromagnetic mode that traverses the cavity twice may be coherent with the input signal at the feed point 203, thereby configuring a resonant cavity known as a Fabry-Perot cavity. The magnitude of the resonant mode may decay exponentially in the lateral direction from the feed point 203, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for confinement structures to the sides of the leaky wave antennas 164. The input impedance of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be configured by the vertical placement of the feed point 203, as described further in FIG. 6.

In operation, a signal to be transmitted via a power amplifier in the transceiver 152 may be communicated to the feed point 203 of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C with a frequency f. The cavity height, h, may be configured to correlate to one half the wavelength of a harmonic of the signal of frequency f. The signal may traverse the height of the cavity and may be reflected by the partially reflective surface 201A, and then traverse the height back to the reflective surface 201B. Since the wave will have traveled a distance corresponding to a full wavelength, constructive interference may result and a resonant mode may thereby be established.

Leaky wave antennas may enable the configuration of high gain antennas without the need for a large array of antennas which require a complex feed network and suffer from loss due to feed lines. The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be operable to transmit and/or receive wireless signals via conductive layers in and/or on chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171. In this manner, the resonant frequency of the cavity may cover a wider range due to the larger size of the package 167, compared to the chip 162, without requiring large areas needed for conventional antennas and associated circuitry.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the frequency of transmission and/or reception of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be configured by selecting one of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C with the appropriate cavity height for the desired frequency. Leaky wave antennas integrated on the chip 162 may comprise coplanar waveguide structures, either on a surface and/or integrated within the chip 162, such that wireless signals may be communicated in a horizontal direction, enabling wireless communication between regions of the chip 162. Additionally, leaky wave antennas may be integrated with the direction of the leaked signal coming out of the surface of the chip 162, thereby enabling communication between the chip 162 and external devices on the package 167, the printed circuit board 171, and/or other external devices.

In another embodiment of the invention, the cavity height, h, may be configured by MEMS actuation. For example, the bias voltages +V_(MEMS) and −V_(MEMS) may deflect one or both of the reflective surfaces 201A and 201B compared to zero bias, thereby configuring the resonant frequency of the cavity.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a plan view of exemplary partially reflective surfaces for a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a partially reflective surface 300 comprising periodic slots in a metal surface, and a partially reflective surface 320 comprising periodic metal patches. The partially reflective surfaces 300/320 may comprise different embodiments of the partially reflective surface 201A described with respect to FIG. 2.

The spacing, dimensions, shape, and orientation of the slots and/or patches in the partially reflective surfaces 300/320 may be utilized to configure the bandwidth, and thus Q-factor, of the resonant cavity defined by the partially reflective surfaces 300/320 and a reflective surface, such as the reflective surface 201B, described with respect to FIG. 2. The partially reflective surfaces 300/320 may thus comprise frequency selective surfaces due to the narrow bandwidth of signals that may leak out of the structure as configured by the slots and/or patches.

The spacing between the patches and/or slots may be related to wavelength of the signal transmitted and/or received, which may be somewhat similar to beamforming with multiple antennas. The length of the slots and/or patches may be several times larger than the wavelength of the transmitted and/or received signal or less, for example, since the leakage from the slots and/or regions surround the patches may add up, similar to beamforming with multiple antennas.

In an embodiment of the invention, the slots/patches may be configured via CMOS and/or micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches, such as the switches 165 described with respect to FIG. 1, to tune the Q of the resonant cavity. The slots and/or patches may be configured in conductive layers in and/or on the chip 162 and may be shorted together or switched open utilizing the switches 165. In this manner, RF signals, such as 60 GHz signals, for example, may be transmitted from various locations in the chip 162 without the need for additional circuitry and conventional antennas with their associated circuitry that require valuable chip space.

In another embodiment of the invention, the slots or patches may be configured in conductive layers in a vertical plane of the chip 162, thereby enabling the communication of wireless signals in a horizontal direction in the chip 162.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary phase dependence of a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a leaky wave antenna comprising the partially reflective surface 201A, the reflective surface 201B, and the feed point 203. In-phase condition 400 illustrates the relative beam shape transmitted by the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C when the frequency of the signal communicated to the feed point 203 matches that of the resonant cavity as defined by the cavity height, h, and the dielectric constant of the material between the reflective surfaces.

Similarly, out-of-phase condition 420 illustrates the relative beam shape transmitted by the leaky wave antenna 164A-164C when the frequency of the signal communicated to the feed point 203 does not match that of the resonant cavity. The resulting beam shape may be conical, as opposed to a single main vertical node. These are illustrated further with respect to FIG. 5. The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be integrated at various heights in the chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171, thereby providing a plurality of transmission and reception sites in the chip 162 with varying resonant frequency. In addition, a coplanar structure may be utilized to configure leaky wave antennas in the chip 162, thereby enabling communication of wireless signals in the horizontal plane of the chip 162.

By configuring the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C for in-phase and out-of-phase conditions, signals possessing different characteristics may be directed out of the chip 162, the package 167, and/or printed circuit board 171 in desired directions. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the angle at which signals may be transmitted by a leaky wave antenna may be dynamically controlled so that signal may be directed to desired receiving leaky wave antennas. In another embodiment of the invention, the leaky wave antennas 164 may be operable to receive RF signals, such as 60 GHz signals, for example. The direction in which the signals are received may be configured by the in-phase and out-of-phase conditions.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary in-phase and out-of-phase beam shapes for a leaky wave antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a plot 500 of transmitted signal beam shape versus angle, Θ, for the in-phase and out-of-phase conditions for a leaky wave antenna.

The In-phase curve in the plot 500 may correlate to the case where the frequency of the signal communicated to a leaky wave antenna matches the resonant frequency of the cavity. In this manner, a single vertical main node may result. In instances where the frequency of the signal at the feed point is not at the resonant frequency, a double, or conical-shaped node may be generated as shown by the Out-of-phase curve in the plot 500. By configuring the leaky wave antennas for in-phase and out-of-phase conditions, signals may be directed out of the chip 162, the package 167, and/or the printed circuit board 171 in desired directions.

In another embodiment of the invention, the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C may be operable to receive wireless signals, and may be configured to receive from a desired direction via the in-phase and out-of-phase configurations.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a leaky wave antenna with variable input impedance feed points, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a leaky wave antenna 600 comprising the partially reflective surface 201A and the reflective surface 201B. There is also shown feed points 601A-601C. The feed points 601A-601C may be located at different positions along the height, h, of the cavity thereby configuring different impedance points for the leaky wave antenna.

In this manner, a leaky wave antenna may be utilized to couple to a plurality of power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, and/or other circuitry with varying output or input impedances. Similarly, by integrating leaky wave antennas in conductive layers in the chip 162, the impedance of the leaky wave antenna may be matched to the power amplifier or low-noise amplifier without impedance variations that may result with conventional antennas and their proximity or distance to associated driver electronics. Similarly, by integrating reflective and partially reflective surfaces with varying cavity heights and varying feed points, leaky wave antennas with different impedances and resonant frequencies may be enabled.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of coplanar and microstrip waveguides, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a microstrip waveguide 720 and a coplanar waveguide 730. The microstrip waveguide 720 may comprise signal conductive lines 723, a ground plane 725, a gap 711A, an insulating layer 727 and a substrate 729. The coplanar waveguide 730 may comprise signal conductive lines 731 and 733, a gap 711B, the insulating layer 727, and the package 167.

The signal conductive lines 723, 731, and 733 may comprise metal traces or layers deposited in and/or on the insulating layer 727. In another embodiment of the invention, the signal conductive lines 723, 731, and 733 may comprise poly-silicon or other conductive material. The separation and the voltage potential between the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725 may determine the electric field generated therein. In addition, the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 727 may also determine the electric field between the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725.

The insulating layer 727 may comprise SiO₂ or other insulating material that may provide a high resistance layer between the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725, and the signal conductive lines 731 and 733. In addition, the electric field between the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725 may be dependent on the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 727.

The thickness and the dielectric constant of the insulating layer 727 may determine the electric field strength generated by the applied signal. The resonant cavity thickness of a leaky wave antenna may be dependent on the spacing between the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725, or the signal conductive lines 731 and 733, for example. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the insulating layer 727 may be removed in localized regions in the microstrip waveguide 720 and the coplanar waveguide 730 to configure the gaps 711A and 711B, thereby allowing for MEMS deflection of the conductive layers and configuring of the height of the resonant cavity.

The signal conductive lines 731 and 733, and the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725 may define resonant cavities for leaky wave antennas. Each layer may comprise a reflective surface or a partially reflective surface depending on the pattern of conductive material. For example, a partially reflective surface may be configured by alternating conductive and insulating material in a 1-dimensional or 2-dimensional pattern. In this manner, signals may be directed out of, or received into, a surface of the chip 162, as illustrated with the microstrip waveguide 720. In another embodiment of the invention, signals may be communicated in the horizontal plane of the chip 162 utilizing the coplanar waveguide 730.

The chip 162 may provide mechanical support for the microstrip waveguide 720, the coplanar waveguide 730, and other devices that may be integrated within. In another embodiment of the invention, the chip 162 may comprise Si, GaAs, sapphire, InP, GaO, ZnO, CdTe, CdZnTe, ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene, and/or Al₂O₃, for example, or any other substrate material that may be suitable for integrating microstrip structures.

In operation, a bias and/or a signal voltage may be applied across the signal conductive line 723 and the ground plane 725, and/or the signal conductive lines 731 and 733. The thickness of a leaky wave antenna resonant cavity may be dependent on the distance between the conductive lines in the microstrip waveguide 720 and/or the coplanar transmission waveguide 730.

By alternating patches of conductive material with insulating material, or slots of conductive material in dielectric material, a partially reflective surface may result, which may allow a signal to “leak out” in that direction, as shown by the Leaky Wave arrows in FIG. 7. In this manner, wireless signals may be directed out of the surface plane of the chip 162, or parallel to the surface of the chip.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an integrated circuit with integrated leaky wave antennas, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown metal layers 801A-801F, solder balls 803, an insulating layer 805, thermal epoxy 807, and leaky wave antennas 809A-809G. The chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171 may be as described previously.

The chip 162, or integrated circuit, may comprise one or more components and/or systems within the wireless system 150. The chip 162 may be bump-bonded or flip-chip bonded to the package 167 utilizing the solder balls 803. In this manner, wire bonds connecting the chip 162 to the package 167 may be eliminated, thereby reducing and/or eliminating uncontrollable stray inductances due to wire bonds, for example. In addition, the thermal conductance out of the chip 162 may be greatly improved utilizing the solder balls 803 and the thermal epoxy 807. The thermal epoxy 807 may be electrically insulating but thermally conductive to allow for thermal energy to be conducted out of the chip 162 to the much larger thermal mass of the package 167.

The metal layers 801A-801F may comprise deposited metal layers utilized to delineate leaky wave antennas in and/or on the chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171. The metal layers 801A-801F may be utilized to communicate signals between the chip 162 to devices in the package 167, the printed circuit board 172, and/or to external devices via leaky wave antennas integrated in the chip 162. In addition, the leaky wave antennas 809A-809D may comprise conductive and insulating layers integrated in and/or on the chip 162 to enable communication of signals horizontally in the plane of the chip 162, as illustrated by the coplanar waveguide 730 described with respect to FIG. 7.

In an embodiment of the invention, the spacing between pairs of metal layers, for example 801A and 801B, 801C and 801D, and 801E and 801F, may define vertical resonant cavities of leaky wave antennas. In this regard, a partially reflective surface, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example, may enable the resonant electromagnetic mode in the cavity to leak out from that surface. In this manner, leaky wave antennas may be operable to communicate wireless signals to and/or from the chip 162 to the package 167 and/or the printed circuit board 171, and/or to external devices.

The metal layers 801A-801F may comprise microstrip structures as described with respect to FIG. 7. The region between the metal layers 801A-801F may comprise a resistive material that may provide electrical isolation between the metal layers 801A-801F thereby creating a resonant cavity.

The number of metal layers is not limited to the number of metal layers 801A-801F shown in FIG. 8. Accordingly, there may be any number of layers embedded within and/or on the chip 162, the package 167, and/or the printed circuit board 171, depending on the number of leaky wave antennas, traces, waveguides and other devices fabricated.

The solder balls 803 may comprise spherical balls of metal to provide electrical, thermal and physical contact between the chip 162, the package 167, and/or the printed circuit board 171. In making the contact with the solder balls 803, the chip 162 and/or the package 167 may be pressed with enough force to squash the metal spheres somewhat, and may be performed at an elevated temperature to provide suitable electrical resistance and physical bond strength. The thermal epoxy 807 may fill the volume between the solder balls 803 and may provide a high thermal conductance path for heat transfer out of the chip 162.

In operation, the chip 162 may comprise an RF front end, such as the RF transceiver 152, described with respect to FIG. 1, and may be utilized to transmit and/or receive RF signals, at 60 GHz, for example. The chip 162 may be electrically coupled to the package 167. The package 167 may be electrically coupled to the printed circuit board 171. In instances where high frequency signals, 60 GHz or greater, for example, may be communicated between blocks or regions in the chip 162 and/or to and from the chip to external devices, leaky wave antennas may be utilized. Accordingly, the leaky wave antennas 809A-809E integrated on or within the chip 162 may be enabled to communicate signals from regions or sections within the chip 162 to other regions in the chip 162 and/or to devices in the package 167 via the leaky wave antenna 809F or the printed circuit board 171 via the leaky wave antenna 809G.

The leaky wave antennas 809A-809D may comprise coplanar waveguide structures, for example, and may be operable to communicate wireless signals in the horizontal plane, parallel to the surface of the chip 162. In this manner, signal may be communicated between disparate regions of the chip 162 without the need to run lossy electrical signal lines. The leaky wave antennas 809E-809G may comprise microstrip waveguide structures, for example, that may be operable to wirelessly communicate signals perpendicular to the plane of the supporting structure, such as the chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171. In this manner, wireless signals may be communicated between the chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171.

The integration of leaky wave antennas in the chip 162, the package 167, and the printed circuit board 171 may result in the reduction of stray impedances when compared to wire-bonded connections between structures as in conventional systems, particularly for higher frequencies, such as 60 GHz. In this manner, volume requirements may be reduced and performance may be improved due to lower losses and accurate control of impedances via switches in the chip 162 or on the package 167, for example.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating exemplary steps for communicating via leaky wave antennas integrated in an integrated circuit, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 9, in step 903 after start step 901, one or more leaky wave antennas integrated may be configured to communicate wireless signals by coupling to RF power amplifiers of low noise amplifiers, for example. In step 905, high frequency signals may be communicated between regions of the chip via leaky wave antennas integrated in the chip. In step 907, signals may be communicated between the chip and devices in the package and/or the printed circuit board via leaky wave antennas in the chip, the package, and the printed circuit board. In step 909, in instances where the wireless device 150 is to be powered down, the exemplary steps may proceed to end step 911. In step 909, in instances where the wireless device 150 is not to be powered down, the exemplary steps may proceed to step 903 to configure the leaky wave antenna at a desired frequency.

In an embodiment of the invention, a method and system are disclosed for communicating RF signals via one or more leaky wave antennas in a wireless device. The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C, 400, 420, 600, and 809A-809G may be integrated in metal layers 201A, 201B, 723, 725, 731, 733, and 801A-801F in an integrated circuit (chip) 162 in the wireless device 150. The RF signals may be communicated to devices external to the chip 162 via a surface of the chip 162. The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C, 400, 420, 600, and 809A-809G may be configured to transmit the wireless signals at a desired angle from the surface of the chip 162. The RF signals may be communicated between regions within the chip 162. The LWAs 164A-164C, 400, 420, 600, and 809A-809G may comprise microstrip waveguides 720 where a cavity height of the LWAs 164A-164C, 400, 420, 600, and 809A-809G may be dependent on a spacing between conductive lines 723 and 725 in the microstrip waveguides 720. The leaky wave antennas 164A-164C, 400, 420, 600, and 809A-809G may comprise coplanar waveguides 730 where a cavity height of the leaky wave antennas 164A-164C, 400, 420, 600, and 809A-809G may be dependent on a spacing between conductive lines 731 and 733 in the coplanar waveguides 730. The chip 162 may be flip-chip-bonded to an integrated circuit package 167 which may be affixed to a printed circuit board 171.

Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory computer readable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machine readable medium and/or storage medium, having stored thereon, a machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code section executable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machine and/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for an on-chip leaky wave antenna.

Accordingly, aspects of the invention may be realized in hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. The invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware, software and firmware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.

One embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a board level product, as a single chip, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or with varying levels integrated on a single chip with other portions of the system as separate components. The degree of integration of the system will primarily be determined by speed and cost considerations. Because of the sophisticated nature of modern processors, it is possible to utilize a commercially available processor, which may be implemented external to an ASIC implementation of the present system. Alternatively, if the processor is available as an ASIC core or logic block, then the commercially available processor may be implemented as part of an ASIC device with various functions implemented as firmware.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the present context may mean, for example, any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form. However, other meanings of computer program within the understanding of those skilled in the art are also contemplated by the present invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the present invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A method for communication, the method comprising: communicating RF signals via one or more leaky wave antennas in a wireless device, wherein said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated in metal layers in an integrated circuit in said wireless device.
 2. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating said RF signals to devices external to said integrated circuit via a surface of said integrated circuit.
 3. The method according to claim 2, comprising configuring said leaky wave antennas to transmit said wireless signals at a desired angle from said surface of said integrated circuit.
 4. The method according to claim 1, comprising communicating said RF signals between regions within said integrated circuit.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said leaky wave antennas comprise microstrip waveguides.
 6. The method according to claim 5, comprising configuring a cavity height of said leaky wave antennas by controlling spacing between conductive lines in said microstrip waveguides.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said leaky wave antennas comprise coplanar waveguides.
 8. The method according to claim 7, comprising configuring a cavity height of said leaky wave antennas by controlling spacing between conductive lines in said coplanar waveguides.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said integrated circuit is flip-chip-bonded to an integrated circuit package.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said integrated circuit package is affixed to a printed circuit board.
 11. A system for enabling communication, the system comprising: one or more circuits in an integrated circuit for use in a wireless device, said integrated circuit comprising one or more leaky wave antennas, wherein: said one or more leaky wave antennas are integrated in metal layers in said integrated circuit; and said one or more circuits are operable to communicate RF signals via said one or more leaky wave antennas in said integrated circuit.
 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to communicate said RF signals to devices external to said integrated circuit via a surface of said integrated circuit.
 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to configure said leaky wave antennas to transmit said wireless signals at a desired angle from said surface of said integrated circuit.
 14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to communicate said RF signals between regions within said integrated circuit.
 15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said leaky wave antennas comprise microstrip waveguides.
 16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to configure a cavity height of said leaky wave antennas by controlling a spacing between conductive lines in said microstrip waveguides.
 17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said leaky wave antennas comprise coplanar waveguides.
 18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to configure a cavity height of said leaky wave antennas by controlling a spacing between conductive lines in said coplanar waveguides.
 19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said integrated circuit is flip-chip-bonded to an integrated circuit package.
 20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said integrated circuit package is affixed to a printed circuit board. 